


This is Gospel for the Fallen Demigods

by iridescent_blue



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, ALSO WILL AND NICO ARE RLLY CUTE, F/M, Inspired by This is Gospel by P!ATD, M/M, Okay kinda sad, SO ARE SILENA AND CHARLIE, nICO SINGS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 11:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11873682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iridescent_blue/pseuds/iridescent_blue
Summary: It's been two months since the war with Kronos ended. Will wanted to honor those who fell over the years. He decides to honor them at the campfire sing. The problem is... he needs a song.Nico helps.They perform. Things happen.





	This is Gospel for the Fallen Demigods

**Author's Note:**

> This started lighthearted but quickly went downhill
> 
> I'm not sorry
> 
> 2/15/18  
> hi i know its been ages since i posted anything and i just realized the fact that the title was miss spelled and i hate myself
> 
> happy v late new year
> 
> bye

_ Will _

 

The war had ended two months ago. Will was appointed the leader of the campfire songs in the amphitheater, but the cheery effect had been diminished as the amphitheater was still being rebuilt and nobody could go a single day without remembering the pain of losing one of their friends. The coming weekend was the second week where the campfire sing-a-long was still happening. It also happened to be the marker of two months after the war had ended, so everyone would be feeling melancholy. Will needed a song to end with at the end of the night like he always did, but wanted it to be something special, to remember the fallen.

 

“Nico! Open up!” Will slammed his fist into the heavy door of the Hades cabin, waiting for his boyfriend who  _ apparently didn’t know how to wake up until midday _ to open the door. Seeing that there was no response, he rested his head on the door and willed it to open or for his boyfriend to magically wake up. Miraculously, Nico did wake up and pushed open the door, yawning and nearly making Will fall over. He blearily rubbed his eyes, and when he noticed that Will had nearly fallen over, he began to giggle; a little bubbling giggle that was surprisingly cheery and lighthearted despite his “grim reaper” aesthetic. His hair was disheveled and was wearing an old Metallica shirt and a pair of boxers with alien heads on them. It was quite hard to take the son of Hades seriously when he looked like that. Will found it adorable.

 

“Wha-at do you want Will?” Nico stretched and arched his back, Will wincing as he heard Nico’s joints crack and pop. He looked like he was about to fall back asleep where he was standing.

 

“I need help with picking a song for the sing-along because it’s been two months since the war ended and I don’t know what song to pick,” Will spoke fast during the best of times, and when he was stressed, he spoke even faster. When Nico was still half-asleep, he wasn’t exactly thinking properly and definitely could not understand whatever Will had said.

 

“What the hell did you just say?” Nico yawned in the middle of his sentence, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He took a step back, allowing Will inside the Hades cabin. He closed the door, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him down for a lazy kiss.

 

“I said, I need help picking a song to honor the fallen demigods because the war has ended and I don’t know what to do and maybe the emo stuff you listen to could help but I don’t know and I need the song for tonight.” Will’s breathing had sped up, and Nico could see the anxiety in his eyes.

 

“First of all, babe, breathe. You won’t be able to think if you’re not getting enough oxygen. Secondly, I know just the song.” He smiled softly, whispering something in his boyfriend’s ear. “That good?”

 

“Nico, that’s genius!” Will hugged him. “One request, though.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Will you sing it with me?” Will was shy, his face flushing. He watched as Nico sucked in a breath and contemplated the request.

 

“Alright.” Will let loose a very unmanly squeal, sweeping Nico into his arms and spinning him around, nearly knocking over many small objects.

 

_ Nico _

 

Dinner passed normally, even though Nico didn’t eat much due to his frayed nerves, as did the first few songs during the sing-a-long, until the last song of the night came around.

 

“All right. So, as you know, this marks two months after the end of the war. We haven’t done anything here to honor the fallen, not only in the war, but in the course of these past years as we have grown up, and I feel like it’s time to do that. So, Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, would you do me the honor of singing with me?” Will looked up from the base of the amphitheater, making eye contact with Nico, where he sat in the shadows, like normal. Nico stood, slowly walking down the steps, attracting the attention of every single camper. He stood next to Will who uttered a soft “ready?”. He nodded. Will started tapping his foot, starting the beat. Nico breathed in and began to sing.

 

_ This is gospel for the fallen ones _

_ Locked away in permanent slumber _

_ Assembling their philosophies _

_ From pieces of broken memories _

 

The campfire started to shimmer, turning purple and rising into the air, full of melancholy remembrance for their friends.

 

_ Their gnashing teeth and criminal tongues conspire against the odds _

_ But they haven’t seen the best of us yet _

 

The fire changed further, and people stifled sobs as Silena Beauregard and Charlie Beckendorf stepped out of the fire, their forms shimmering. Charlie put his arm around her, and they both smiled.

 

_ If you love me let me go _

_ If you love me let me go _

_ ‘Cause these words are knives and often leave scars _

_ The fear of falling apart _

_ And truth be told, I never was yours _

_ The fear, the fear of falling apart _

 

Michael Yew stepped out of the fire, glancing around sheepishly, but he received warm smiles. Lee Fletcher stepped out as well. Half of the Apollo cabin started to cry and hug each other.

 

_ This is gospel for the vagabonds, _

_ Ne'er-do-wells and insufferable bastards _

_ Confessing their apostasies _

_ Led away by imperfect impostors _

 

Zoë Nightshade stepped out of the fire, bow drawn. Her stony expression softened and she smiled softly, swaying to the music.

 

_ Don’t try to sleep through the end of the world _

_ And bury me alive _

_ 'Cause I won’t give up without a fight _

 

A woman walked out of the fire, and Leo’s hair exploded into a maelstrom of flame. The woman was wearing grease-stained overalls, and there was a smudge of motor oil on her tanned cheek. There was something familiar in her face. Her hair was curly and fell in ringlets, framing her face. Her smirk perfectly matched Leo’s. She was the mother of Leo Valdez. Her name was Esperanza, just barely readable on her grimy nametag.

 

_ If you love me let me go _

_ If you love me let me go _

_ ‘Cause these words are knives and often leave scars _

_ The fear of falling apart _

_ And truth be told, I never was yours _

_ The fear, the fear of falling apart _

 

As he sang, Nico felt a gentle nudging in his conscience. He faced the fire to see the smiling demigods and…

 

His voice broke.

 

Bianca di Angelo stood in front of him, her baggy green hat just barely letting her eyes peek out from over the brim. They had both learned sign language, and she quickly signed:

 

**I’m alright, brother. Carry on. You’ve been so brave. I love you.**

 

The small push in his mind felt like the hugs Bianca gave, soft and gentle, yet supporting and strong. Nico did as she said and carried on singing, Will joining in. He simply felt love, for his sister and Will and everyone who cared, just a little bit.

_ Oh, the fear of falling apart _

_ Oh, the fear, the fear of falling apart _

 

As if on command, the ghost of a blond, scarred boy walked out of the fire. He received accusatory looks but kept signing and mouthing  **I’m sorry.** It was Luke Castellan, the ex-Head Counselor of Hermes who tried to raise Kronos then destroyed himself in an effort to prevent Kronos evolving into his final form. He smiled, and all the ghosts started mouthing the words to the song, helping finish it along with the rest of the campers. More ghosts stepped out, demigods and Hunters who had died over the years in this endless war. They joined hands and started to mouth along with the others.

 

_ (Oh, this is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart) _

_ The fear of falling apart _

 

As the final beats faded, the ghostly projections looked out at everyone and began to fade. Charlie pecked Silena on the cheek. Esperanza waved to Leo and spelled something in Morse code. Bianca gave Nico one more conscience hug, then faded completely. The fire was now a content shade of green, happy and sad at the same time for seeing the fallen. Leo patted out the fire in his hair, and everyone started to clap.

 

Nico didn’t even notice that he was crying until Will’s arms were around him, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

 

“Did you summon them?” His voice was quiet, and Nico could feel his breath on the back of his neck. He shook his head.

 

“I - I think that it was everyone. We created phantoms of those we missed, and they borrowed some of my power and brought back their personalities.” Nico felt safe in Will’s arms. He felt loved. He felt at home.

 

After seeing Bianca, he  _ was _ home. 

 

He felt souls in the Underworld, rustling around, but they were content. They had been honored.

 

They could rest.

 

They were alright.

**Author's Note:**

> woooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BOY TWO LIL STORIES IN ONE DAY
> 
> I am getting up at 3:30 am to catch a flight tomorrow and I need to sleep right now. haH NOPE
> 
> eh this was fun and sad
> 
> help me sleep! Give me comments and kudos because they're like coffee and coffee makes me so tired


End file.
